Farmers in Jhenidah are bringing more land under paddy farming during the current T-Aman paddy season due to fair price of the staple crop, alongside favourable weather condition.
Farmers said they felt interested in cultivating paddy on more land as paddy was selling at satisfactory prices in the markets.
According to a good number of farmers and some field level officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Jhenidah, due to moderate timely rainfall this season, farmers are also getting inspired to plant paddy on more land in the district.
Besides, in order to ensure food security, the DAE, Jhenidah has taken various plans for increased paddy cultivation by the farmers.
They are trying to make farmers understand that rice import is tougher during the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition to giving farmers agri-inputs, the DAE, Jhenidah is preparing seedbeds of their own in case farmers' seedbeds get destroyed somehow.
The department has rented land from farmers and has already made seedbeds on 1.5 hectares, and the seedbed areas will be further extended.
The department is also raising saplings in trays.
DAE sources said this year Aus paddy fields were irrigated by the GK project pumps, especially in Harinakundu and Shailkupa upazilas of the district.
As a result, a few more areas were brought under paddy cultivation in the two upazilas this year.
Agriculture officers said local labourers are working as usual in paddy fields of the district, giving an impression that coronavirus has had almost no impact on paddy farming here.
In addition, rice transplanter and combined harvester have been launched in some areas here which save both time and cost.
DAE is giving farmers 50 percent subsidy from the government project to buy these machines, the sources said.
Another project to assist farmers in this regard has been passed this year, the sources added.
Harvesting paddy with a combined harvester costs about Tk 2,000 per bigha while cutting paddy on the same land manually by labourers costs about Tk 5,500, said a farmer of Shadhuhati union of Jhenidah Sadar.
However, a harvester cannot operate if the land is heavily muddy.
Out Magura correspondent reports: Farmers in the district are expecting to get a bumper output of Aus paddy this season.
Coronavirus incentives, quality seeds and adequate rainfall are making the growers optimistic about the bumper yield.
Aus harvesting will start in the district within next two weeks and the farmers are now waiting to harvest the crop with great zeal.
Sources at the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Magura said a total of 5,390 hectares of land were brought under Aus cultivation in the district this season.
Total 13,550 tonnes of rice are expected to be produced in the district this season.
The government has given 1,120 Aus growers in the district coronavirus incentive.
Every grower got cash Tk 2,500, five kg seeds, 20 kg DAP and 10 kg MOP fertilisers.
Belal Hossain, a farmer of Tengakhali village under Magura sadar upazila, said, "I brought my two bigha land under Aus cultivation in the district this season. I am expecting a bumper production of 25 maund paddy."
Another Aus grower Naim Reza of village Tila under Magura sadar upazila said, "As incentives, I got quality seeds and fertiliser from DAE. At the same time, I had no irrigation expenses for Aus farming as there was adequate rainfall. Moreover, I have got cash Tk 2,500 as incentive. To sum up, it cost me almost nothing for the cultivation."
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